Autoblog

Rumormill: Ferrari preparing hardcore 599 GTO?

Noah Joseph — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari, Rumormill

Ferrari 599XX - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ferrari often uses its World Finals event to unveil exclusive new versions of its most enticing road cars. The FXX Evoluzione was unveiled there a couple of years ago, and the 16M Scuderia Spider made its debut at the event last year. But aside from a mishap involving Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Luca di Montezemolo in a California convertible, this year's event at Valencia came and went with nothing new to offer. However, the latest churns from the rumormill indicate Maranello could be working on an exciting new project.

Supposedly leaked pre-order sheets reportedly refer to a "599 GTO Limited Edition", named in deference to the iconic 250 GTO (to say nothing of the ground-pounding 288 GTO). Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, the GTO could be Maranello's answer to arch-rival Lamborghini's Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce.

Incorporating design cues and technologies from the 599XX program, the 599 GTO could benefit from a weight-reduction program to cut some 100-150 pound off the curb weight thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber, while squeezing out as much as 700 horsepower from the Enzo-derived 6.0-liter V12. Pricing would be expected to jump by as much as a quarter to nearly $400,000, and if the reports prove accurate, the 599 GTO could be ready for debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March with the first of just 500 examples slated for delivery by this time next year.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Ferrari 599xx

[Source: Autogespot]

Rumormill: Ferrari preparing hardcore 599 GTO? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jean Alesi returns to racing Ferraris

Noah Joseph — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:35:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ferrari

Jean Alesi returns to Fiorano - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you checked out the images we posted of Felipe Massa's return to Maranello, you may have spotted the returning Brazilian driver chatting with one Jean Alesi and wondered what he was doing there.

The French driver raced for the Scuderia from 1991 through 1995, scoring a handful of podiums and a solitary grand prix victory in Montreal. Along with longtime team-mate Gerhard Berger, Alesi switched places with Michael Schumacher to Benetton-Renault in 1996, then bounced between a few other teams before retiring from Formula One at the end of 2001. Since then he's been competing in DTM and then headlined the new Speedcar Series.

With the ill-fated Asian stock car series now deceased, however, the racing world has been wondering what the retired F1 driver would try his hand at next, and on Tuesday they got their hint when Alesi showed up at Fiorano to test the Ferrari F430 GT2. Alesi's slated to race for AF Corse, the team run by Amato Ferrari, who shares strong ties with both Maranello and Maserati but no direct familial relation despite the common name.

AF Corse is the reigning two-time champion in the FIA GT series, but is reportedly preparing to tackle the European Le Mans Series, including its headline event, next year. The test session apparently exceeded expectations, paving the way for the 45-year-old driver to race Ferraris once again, for the first time in fourteen years, next season. Details in the press release after the jump and images in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Jean Alesi tests Ferrari F430 GT2 at Fiorano for AF Corse

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Jean Alesi returns to racing Ferraris

Jean Alesi returns to racing Ferraris originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fine China: One-off porcelain-finish Ferrari 599 special to be auctioned for charity [w/VIDEO]

Noah Joseph — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, China, Videos, Ferrari, Specialty, Design/Style

One-of-a-kind Ferrari 599 in cracked porcelain by Lu Hao - Click above for UPDATED high-res image gallery

In a communist country, all Ferraris are equal, but some are more equal than others. Take the special-edition 599 that the Italian automaker debuted exclusively for the Chinese market. Only twelve of them will be made. And now, an even more exclusive version - as exclusive as they get, really - has been presented.

This one-of-a-kind special Ferrari has been further differentiated by Lu Hao, a Chinese artist who applied the special touches that make the China special edition, well...special. It's been decked out in the cracked glaze pattern of the coveted Song Dynasty-era Ge Liln porcelain, and signed by the artist. The unique supercar will be auctioned off for charity in Beijing on November 3, but you can see it for yourself in the gallery below and the video after the jump.

UPDATE: Two new images added to the gallery below, and official press release inserted under the video after the jump.

Gallery: Ferrari 599 in cracked porcelain by Lu Hao

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Fine China: One-off porcelain-finish Ferrari 599 special to be auctioned for charity [w/VIDEO]

Fine China: One-off porcelain-finish Ferrari 599 special to be auctioned for charity [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Flag: Ferrari crafts a dozen 599 HGTE specials for China

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, China, Ferrari

Ferrari 599 HGTE China Limited Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

It wasn't so long ago that the idea of seeing an exotic Italian sportscar in mainland China was as much an anathema as a Chinese car in America. But the times, as one Mr. Dylan sang, they are a-changin.' Today, China is one of Ferrari's most important markets, where the red Prancing Horse shares the streets with the Red Dragon. To mark that relationship, Ferrari has announced a special edition exclusively for the Chinese market.

Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano with the company's new Handling GTE package, the China Limited Edition has been updated with special touches designed by Chinese artist Lu Hao: the starter button glows jade green, the tachometer features ancient Chinese characters instead of the usual numerals, and the luggage is emblazoned with a map of the Silk Road taken by the famous Italian explorer Marco Polo. The Rosso Fuoco paintjob with the gray roof mimics the 599XX, and only a dozen examples will be made - with over a billion people in the market, we're betting they'll be snapped up fast. Check it out in the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Ferrari 599 HGTE China Limited Edition

[Source: Ferrari]

Red Flag: Ferrari crafts a dozen 599 HGTE specials for China originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari CEO outlines dates for Enzo, 612, 599 replacements

Noah Joseph — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ferrari

With the new 458 Italia ready to go, the 458 Spider on its way, and the California still fresh on the market, Ferrari is turning its attention from the V8 range to its V12 flagships. CAR sat down with the company's CEO and managing director Amedeo Felisa, who revealed the full roll-out schedule for not one, not two, but three new V12 supercars currently under development in Maranello.

First up is the 612 Scaglietti, which has been on the market since 2004. That may not seem like a long product life cycle, but considering the lackluster Scag hasn't exactly won the hearts and minds of enthusiasts and customers, Ferrari is apparently moving ahead with its replacement, due to hit the market by 2012.

Around the same time, we can expect to see the long-anticipated supercar to follow in the footsteps of the 288 GTO, F40, F50 and Enzo. Although Ferrari has been working on hybrid propulsion and other forms of green technology, those bits won't be ready by the time the Enzo's successor rolls around, so expect a more conventional V12 (or possibly twin turbo V8) to drive Maranello's new benchmark.

The replacement for the 599 GTB Fiorano, meanwhile, will take a little longer. The two-seat GT was introduced a few years ago and recently treated to a new HGTE package to keep it ahead of the competition. But although the new 458 is already expected to outgun the Fiorano, and with arch-rival Lamborghini hard at work on a successor to the Murcielago, Ferrari isn't planning to replace the 599 before 2015.

[Source: CAR]

Ferrari CEO outlines dates for Enzo, 612, 599 replacements originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(Un)mellow Yellow: Upgrade your Ferrari 599 with dealer-installed HGTE package [w/VIDEO]

Noah Joseph — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Supercars, Ferrari, Specialty

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano with HGTE package - Click above for high-res image gallery

Life is tough, we know. You sit for months on a waiting list, drop six figures, order your Ferrari just the way you want it, and then bam! They come out with an even better version. What's a supercar owner to do? Well in the case of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Handling GTE package unveiled to go with it at the Geneva Motor Show just a few months ago (shown above in yellow for the first time), we've got good news as Ferrari has announced the availability of the package as a dealer-installable kit on existing 599s.

The package includes a host of enhancements to the GT's already superlative capabilities, grouped into four areas: handling, performance, exhaust and aesthetics. Handling includes a suspension lowered by 10mm, magnetorheologically re-calibrated and stiffened by over 15%; beefed up in anti-roll bars, and stickier tires mounted on upgraded modular wheels.

The performance enhancements include new exhaust silencers, upgrades to the transmission software that cut shift times down to 85 milliseconds, as well as new lines of code that summon improved throttle response. The performance kit can only be installed on post-2008 models with the sequential transmission, while pre-2008 or manual-equipped models can get the exhaust kit without the remapped throttle and transmission.

Finally, the aesthetic improvements consist of a new front grille and Prancing Horse emblems front and back in a burnished finish instead of the usual chrome. The only thing which the dealer-installed HGTE kit doesn't include from the factory-equipped models is the interior trim package. Released first for the British market, the kit costs £19,703 (~$32k USD), or £17,213 (~$28k) without the upgraded transmission and throttle calibrations. Check out the fresh gallery of images below and follow the jump for the full press release and an in-car video of the HGTE-equipped 599 pouring on the heat.

Gallery: Ferrari 599 HGTE in yellow

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading (Un)mellow Yellow: Upgrade your Ferrari 599 with dealer-installed HGTE package [w/VIDEO]

(Un)mellow Yellow: Upgrade your Ferrari 599 with dealer-installed HGTE package [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schumacher gets down with new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE [w/VIDEO]

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Supercars, Ferrari

Click above to watch video of Schumacher talking Ferrari after the jump

When he's not racing superbikes or reliving the good old days, seven-time Formula World Champion Michael Schumacher gets his thrills testing new Ferrari supercars. The Prancing Horse recently had Schumi take a 599 GTB with the company's new Handling GT Evoluzione (HGTE) package around Fiorano with a vengeance, and then they got the man to talk about his hand in developing Ferrari models from the ground up.

Schumacher's flogging of the tauter 599 was part of Pilota Ferrari, which is Ferrari's multi-level driving school program for owners. In a second video after the jump, the German pilot also discusses the importance of driving schools for every day driving. Somehow, we have a feeling that the "on-the-limit" maneuvers he speaks of just aren't the same in a 599 GTB HGTE as they are in the Pontiacs at our local track.

Gallery: Schumacher Tests the Ferrari 599 HGTE

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Schumacher gets down with new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE [w/VIDEO]

Schumacher gets down with new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting on Track: Ferrari releases more pics, details on experimental 599XX

Noah Joseph — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Ferrari

Ferrari 599XX - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Road cars have laws to contend with, and racing cars have regulations to uphold. But for track cars, the sky is the limit. Unfortunately for track enthusiasts, purpose-built track cars built from the ground up with a blank sheet of paper and a limitless sky are few and far between. One example comes from Ferrari with its XX-rated development program that creates a series of cars that bridge the gap between road and track. First up was the FXX, an Enzo with some extra kit. That was followed by the even more extreme FXX Evoluzione. But at the Geneva show last month, Ferrari took the wraps off the 599XX, a rolling laboratory based on the 599 GTB Fiorano only unbound by the rules of governing bodies. And while the 599XX's debut was accompanied by only limited details and even fewer photos, Maranello's finally released more of each to salivate over.

Over the course of its ongoing development - that is, after all, the point of the XX programs - the 599XX will receive all manner of new features and technologies. There's even word it may serve as a test bed for the adaptation of Formula One's KERS regenerative braking system for future road cars. But in the meantime, Ferrari's engineers have started with a host of aerodynamic and engine modifications. Added aerodynamic elements abound, some more visible than others. Little black winglets protrude from the C-pillars (which themselves were already aerodynamically optimized on the road car), and the wheels integrate F1-style "donuts" to channel the air for optimized cooling and clean airflow. Underneath the bodywork, a new Actiflow system employs a porous diffuser and two fans in the trunk to channel the airflow for increased downforce at cornering speeds or reduced drag at higher speeds. All that and more adds up to 617 pounds of downforce at 124 mph or 1,389 pounds at 186 mph. Reduced mass inertia in the engine compartment helps the V12 produce 700 horsepower at the XX's stratospheric 9,000 RPM redline, the shift program has reduced gear changes to just 60 milliseconds, and the carbon ceramic brake pads are gripped by experimental carbon-fiber calipers to keep it all under control. All that new tech helps the 599XX lap Ferrari's own Fiorano test track in 1 minute, 17 seconds... faster than any road car the company has ever produced, a tick under the FXX's lap time, and faster than some of the company's modern race machinery. Follow the jump to read more details in the press release, and check out the studio shots in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Ferrari 599XX

Continue reading Getting on Track: Ferrari releases more pics, details on experimental 599XX

Getting on Track: Ferrari releases more pics, details on experimental 599XX originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Ferrari to give 599 the Scuderia treatment?

Noah Joseph — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Ferrari

Some people just won't leave well enough alone. We love those people. Like the engineers at Ferrari, who routinely develop some of the most wicked supercars known to man, and then set about improve them.

Take, for example, the 360 Modena. A spectacular car, by all accounts, so they made it better with the 360 Challenge Stradale. That 360 gave birth to the F430, which in turn begat the ultimate 430 Scuderia. While the progression of the 599 GTB Fiorano hasn't been as staggered (so far), the performance gurus in Maranello have hardly let the V12 supercar rest on its laurels, either. At this year's Geneva Motor Show, they rolled out two improvements on the Fiorano: the 599XX developmental track car, and the HGTE package to further fine-tune the suspension. Now reports suggest that another revision could be in the works.

The reports result from a test mule spied lapping the eponymous Fiorano test track with a modified, higher-mounted exhaust system - similar to that found on the 599XX, but affixed to the road car. The exhaust note is said to be deafening. Ferrari gave a similar treatment to its V8 supercars to produce the 430 Scuderia and the 360 Challenge Stradale before it...could a hardcore 599 be next?

[Source: World Car Fans]

Spy Shots: Ferrari to give 599 the Scuderia treatment? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Face-lift Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano on its way?

Noah Joseph — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:41:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Ferrari

Three years may not seem like a long time to keep a car on the market, but for an exotic automaker built on a Formula One team accustomed to replacing their racing machinery every season, 36 months must seem like an eternity. That could explaining why the 599 GTB Fiorano, introduced just a few flips of the calendar ago in 2006, is already due for a refresh.

The Prancing Horse showed us two new variants of the Fiorano last month at the Geneva Motor Show -- the track-bound 599XX client test car and the HGTE package for the road-going model -- and now spy shots show what is tipped to be a mild face-lift for Maranello's flagship supercar. If this is what sources say it is, the 599 could be getting a revised front air dam, with possible modifications to the headlights and other body parts, with the potential for some engine mods, too. Coupled with the revised suspension from the new HGTE package and the 599 looks poised to remain at the top of the dynamic performance ladder for another few years at least.

[Source: autoblog.it]

Spy Shots: Face-lift Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano on its way? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPY VIDEO: Ferrari F149 GT California at Fiorano

Noah Joseph — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:32:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Videos

Click above to view the spy video

Sound the alarm and turn up your speakers - Ferrari has a security breach. Someone managed to get a good vantage point with a video camera over the company's private Fiorano test track in Maranello and caught the oft-photographed test mule of the upcoming new Ferrari model lapping the track at full throttle.

Known internally as project F149 and alternatively referred to externally as the Dino or GT California, the new model is expected to feature four seats and a retractable hard top. Although rumor has it that Maserati may be delegated the assembly (including the 4.7-liter V8 it makes for the GranTurismo S and Alfa 8C), this beast sounds every bit like a purebred stallion. Follow the jump to see for yourself.

[Source: YouTube via Autoblog.nl]

Continue reading SPY VIDEO: Ferrari F149 GT California at Fiorano

SPY VIDEO: Ferrari F149 GT California at Fiorano originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vandenbrink unveils Ferrari 599 GT Convertible design

Noah Joseph — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:42:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Supercars, Ferrari

click to enlarge

Dutch designer Michiel van den Brink doesn't seem to be deterred by adversity. First he set out to pen a modern interpretation of one of the most iconic homologated racing GTs of all time, the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Then he actually decided to build his design, basing it on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, arguably the most dynamically sublime supercar ever to grace tarmac. When the Fiorano's 600-hp Enzo sourced V12 wasn't good enough, he teamed up with tuning house Edo Competition to turn it up to 11 by boring it out to 6.3 liters. The result? 750 horsepower. When Maranello declined to grant him its blessing, he started taking orders anyway from customers seemingly undeterred by the $1.3 million asking price... over the cost of the donor car.

Now that conjecture has begun circulating cyberspace that Ferrari is considering building a small run of convertibles based on the Fiorano, van den Brink has thrown his hat into the ring by unveiling his own design, dubbed the "GT Convertible". A far more convincing and seducing design than the photochops we've seen so far, van den Brink says he'll build it complete with a folding carbon-fiber hard-top for any interested customer.

That's some unfettered ambition, considering we've yet to see an actual copy of the Vandenbrink GTO built, yet despite an undisclosed but undoubtedly high cost for the sublime chop-job, Michiel might start taking orders before you know it.

More details are included in the press release after the jump, where van den Brink alludes to future designs to be based on the Audi R8, Spyker C8 Spyder and Corvette Z06. Oh yes, the future bears promise.

[Source: Vandenbrink Design]

Continue reading Vandenbrink unveils Ferrari 599 GT Convertible design

Vandenbrink unveils Ferrari 599 GT Convertible design originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galleria Ferrari offers a Scarlet ticket! Win a day at the factory and track

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:33:00 EST

Filed under: Contests, Supercars, Ferrari

If you love insanely fast and gorgeous cars and you happen to be in Northern Italy over the next few weeks, you might want to swing by the Galleria Ferrari. The Galleria is in Maranello, not far from the factory where cars bearing the prancing horse are made. To celebrate their most successful year yet in terms of visitors, the Galleria is offering up a scarlet ticket to one lucky visitor and a guest. The person who buys ticket number 200,000 this year will get to spend the day at the factory and have lunch at the Ristorante Cavallino where old Enzo used to have his midday repasts. To top it all off, they then get to take a few hot laps of the Fiorano test track with one of the factory test drivers. The Galleria is open to Ferraristi daily (except for Christmas and New Years) from 9:30-6:00.

[Source: Ferrari]

Galleria Ferrari offers a Scarlet ticket! Win a day at the factory and track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Future Ferrari: lighter weight, 2+2 V8, new supercar

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Ferrari

Ferrari's getting in on the environmental game. Well, relatively speaking. The next supercar from the home of the prancing horse will be lighter and use a lower-displacement engine, but still have at least 500 HP. Thoughts are that such a car would derive its powerplant from the one mooted for the Millechili concept shown earlier this year. Though the car shown was nothing more than cardboard, the powerplant spoken of was a twin-turbocharged, direct-injection, 550-hp, 3.0-liter V-8.

The other big news is more information on Ferrari's No-It's-Not-A-Dino. Instead, what will be revealed early next year is a 2+2 V8 with a 4.3L V8 mounted up front. Other changes to the rest of Ferrari's line have taken a back seat due to the marque's growing popularity. The 599 hardtop convertible has been put on hold in light of the coupe's 18-month waiting list. The 612 will remain unchanged until its replaced in 2010.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

Future Ferrari: lighter weight, 2+2 V8, new supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Ferrari F430 Scuderia pre-reveal

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:56:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Supercars, Ferrari

Evidently Ferrari decided that it couldn't wait to to unveil a track-bred sports car like the F430 Scuderia on a static auto show stage in Frankfurt. Instead Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo was accompanied by F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen as they pulled the tarp of the lighter, more powerful F430 in a private gathering (read: no press) at the company's Fiorano test track. Massa then slipped behind the wheel and pulled the car out the garage for some hot laps. This car's noise is the type of thing that makes grown men lose control of their bladders. A lucky attendee with a camera has posted the video, which is mostly in Italian with some English sprinkled in. But when you're talking Ferrari, who needs words? Just let the car do the talking!

The official media unveiling will indeed take place next week in Frankfurt. We'll be there.

[Source: Google Video]

VIDEO: Ferrari F430 Scuderia pre-reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Commute Sighting 8/6/07 - Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Alex Nunez — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:07:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Supercars, Ferrari

Every so often, we come across something during our daily slog to and from work that merits a quick post, whether it be an aerodynamically-incorrect F-body, a not-available-in-North-America-but-here-anyway import, or something that's just plain cool. Today, it was the latter. Even when stuck in traffic like the rest of us, the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano looks like it's moving faster than everyone else. And it sounds just as good. Yep, the ride home this evening got a whole lot more tolerable when this bad boy appeared in front of us. You just don't see too many of 'em day-to-day, y'know?

Gallery: Ferrari 599 GTB on I-95

Commute Sighting 8/6/07 - Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Night Watch: Fezza overload

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Supercars, Ferrari

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Prancing Horse, VOD Cars has put together a compilation video that's a must watch for Fezza fetishists. Justifiably, there have been plenty of complaints about certain automotive vids whose producers are predisposed to bad music choices, masking the real aural wonders that are purportedly the focus of the flick. This isn't one of them, so click on through to enjoy.

[Source: VODCars via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Autoblog Night Watch: Fezza overload

Autoblog Night Watch: Fezza overload originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari 599 goes up in flames

Noah Joseph — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:07:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Safety, Supercars, Ferrari

When the engine on Massa's or Raikonnen's Ferrari monoposto overheats and catches fire, that's one thing. When the engine on a customer's personal Ferrari GT car goes up in flames, it's an entirely different story, distinguished primarily by the lack of emergency fire marshals and pit crew to handle it when it happens out on the open road.

Pictures are floating around the internet, much to be presumed embarrassment of Ferrari, of a brand-spankin' new 599 GTB Fiorano following a "spontaneous" fire emanated from under the hood. The car was taking part in the Ferrari 60 Relay event passing through the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Earliest reports indicate that, feeling left out as all those Enzos and 360s were totaled, the 599 lit itself on fire on a bet. Someone ought to have a talk with the other little Ferraris about the dangers of peer pressure.

[Source: Dariomotor and Jalopnik]

Ferrari 599 goes up in flames originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Ferrari 599 GTB vs. Porche Carrera GT

Noah Joseph — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Supercars, Porsche, Ferrari

There could hardly be two more different approaches to the exotic supercar than the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Porsche Carrera GT. One's a production Italian gran tourismo with a front-mounted V12, and the other's a rare German targa with a mid-mounted V10. The Ferrari was designed and executed to be easy to drive, while the Porsche is reportedly twitchier than a monkey drinking coffee. As far as exotic sportscars go, they're like apples and oranges.

The question is, which one is faster? The video after the jump has your answer. The two supercars make two runs from a rolling start. One pulls ahead but by the end of the drag strip the second is ahead by a couple car-lengths. Follow the jump to find out which took the checkered flag.

(If you're thinking the Enzo would be a more fitting adversary for the Carrera GT, you're not the only one.)

[Source: German Car Blog]

Continue reading VIDEO: Ferrari 599 GTB vs. Porche Carrera GT

VIDEO: Ferrari 599 GTB vs. Porche Carrera GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tuner Tuesdays: Hamann's wicked 673-hp Ferrari 599

Noah Joseph — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:04:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Performance, Supercars, Ferrari

Click for image gallery.

Haman the Wicked was an ancient Assyrian viceroy who thought himself better than the King. He had an unquenchable thirst for power and fathered equally wicked sons. History, it seems, has come full circle, and there's a lot in a name. Today it belongs to the German tuning house Hamann that, in its unquenchable thirst for power, aims to better Ferraris - kings of all sportscardom - and as a result produces some seriously wicked offspring of its own.

The latest is a complete tuning package for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, already hailed as one of the best GTs of all time. Hamann has tweaked an extra 53 horsepower out of the Fiorano's Enzo-derived engine, bringing peak power up to 673 hp, by fitting its own custom header. And in case the wail of the Fiorano's V12 just wasn't cutting it, Hamann also fitted its own exhaust.

Follow the jump to continue reading and for the full press release, or click here for more pics.

Gallery: Hamann Ferrari 599 Fiorano

Continue reading Tuner Tuesdays: Hamann's wicked 673-hp Ferrari 599

Tuner Tuesdays: Hamann's wicked 673-hp Ferrari 599 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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